


Magic-Man and the shrinking spider

by wolfypuppypiles



Series: Spider-Baby and the adventures of Super-Dad [1]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Cuddles, Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father Figures, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Protective Tony, dad tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-11-12 04:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18003518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfypuppypiles/pseuds/wolfypuppypiles
Summary: When Tony and Peter encounter a barely sane villain they're given a gift neither of them asked for but maybe could use after all.Peter turns into a toddler whenever he's upset and Tony can't help but think that he's the most adorable cherub in all the world.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, "whos my spider-baby?" is my most popular story and so many people asked for more so finally here we are. It's not connected to the first one but I hope you enjoy it!

“I told you to go left.” Tony pulled on the ropes wrapped around his arms, squirming anxiously as they writhed around him like snakes, holding him down in his chair. 

“You were knocked down, I wasn’t going to just leave you there.” Peter squirmed in his own seat, cold in the abandoned warehouse they’d tracked their target. 

You’d think that someone in an Iron Man suit and a kid with superpowers would be able to get out of some measly ropes but they weren’t tied down with ordinary ropes. They were magic. Yeah, New York is weird. 

“You don’t have to protect me, I can handle myself.” 

Magic man- yes, he named himself- leaned down to peer at the two heroes he’d captured, sparkly magicians outfit throwing off beams of light around the room like a disco ball. 

“Aw, you two are adorable, worrying over each other like that. Mr Tony heals the wounds his own father inflicted by fathering the spider. And the spider gets the father figure he so desperately craves.”

Tony gritted his teeth, trying to keep his cool in front of the loopy telepath. His eyes softened and his smile was warm which somehow made him even creepier. 

“Ah, how I’d love to go back and be a child with my dad to protect me whenever I was sad or scared.”

He turned to Peter, eyebrows coming down in sympathy. “But you don’t even remember what that feels like, do you? Your father went missing when you were so young and you held out hope that he’d return for so long that by the time you saw your uncle as a paternal figure you were already grown up. Mostly. You don’t remember what it’s like for a father to protect you, to love you and be there for you. You don’t even remember what it felt like to hug him do you?”

Peter felt the words stab at his heart and he grit his teeth behind the mask. 

“The only reason you remember what he looks like is the photos you kept.”

Peter couldn’t listen to any more. “SHUT UP!”

Magic-man laughed, tittering at his reaction. “My my, so sensitive. And I didn’t even say anything about your mother.”

Peter pulled at his restraints, voice loud in the wide, empty warehouse.

“YOU SHUT UP RIGHT NOW OR I’LL-“ his words cut off with a cry of pain, the snake-like ropes pulling taut around him. 

“Spider-man!” Tony tried to reach for him but he couldn’t move and the magic moron just stood, hands on his bedazzled hips and hummed as he thought. 

“You know, I was going to kill you and consume your flesh-“

“WHAT?!” Tony stilled in his binds, shock distracting him from the winding ropes. 

Peter screwed up his face beneath his mask, nauseated and horrified, ropes easing their grip as he stilled. “You should change your name to disgusting man, cause that’s nasty.”

The apparent cannibal, rolled his eyes as if it were obvious. “Well, how else do you think I got my powers? I have to eat powered people to absorb their gifts. I was going to do the same to you but people always taste better when they’re soaked in dopamine and serotonin. It’s like marinating steak.”

Peter groaned, shaking his head. “Seriously, stop. I’m gonna throw up.”

Magic man giggled, clapping his hands as his excitement grew. “Yes! I know what I’ll do. I’ll give you something you’ve never had before. A gift from me to you. And once you’re both happy and dripping in all those delicious hormones I’ll find you and kill you!”

Tony’s gaze bounced from the murderer to Peter and back, watching as Magic Man extended a glowing finger towards the spider. 

“Back off E.T! Don’t you touch him!”

Peter squirmed, pulling back but the ropes held him still and Tony could only watch as Magic Man pressed his finger to the kid's forehead. 

“No!”

Peter gasped at the touch and a blinding explosion of light filled the large warehouse. Tony turned away, shutting his eyes, only turning back once the glow faded. 

But as he opened his eyes, dread grew heavy in his stomach. Magic man was gone and the ropes he’d been controlling dropped to the ground, limp and ordinary once more but Peter was slumped in his chair. 

“Peter!”

Tony leapt up from his seat, reaching for the teenager and giving him a gentle shake. “Pete, come on, answer me.”

The boy didn’t show any signs of waking and Tony grew more panicked as the seconds ticked on. Friday’s scans were telling him that everything was fine, Peters heart rate and breathing were in the range of someone sleeping and his blood pressure and brain activity was normal. So what was wrong? 

“Dammit.” 

Tony scooped the kid into his arms, carefully tucking Peters head on his shoulder as he called for help. 

“Friday, call Bruce and tell him we have incoming.”

“Got it, boss.” 

The flight back home was a stressful one. The scans showed Peter was fine but he wasn’t waking up and that wasn’t fine at all. There was no telling what the magic idiot had done and Tony couldn’t even begin to unravel all the crazy nonsense he’d dribbled on about. 

Thankfully, Bruce always knew what to do and Tony felt better the moment he saw him, waiting on the landing pad with a stretcher. 

“What happened?” 

Tony laid the teenager out on the thin mattress, hanging onto the side as he and Bruce rolled Peter into the infirmary. 

Tony was out of breath and worried, panting as he tried to explain. “A magic sparkly people eater touched his forehead. Big blast of light,” he gestured to the unconscious boy with splayed hands. “Boom.”

Bruce settled the stretcher in an examination room and began gently pulling Peters mask off. “That’s not a lot to go on.”

Tony stepped out of his Iron Man suit and sent it away, scrubbing his hands through his hair. “I know but he won’t wake up. Please, just help him.” 

Bruce nodded and got to work, reading all the information Karen was putting up on his screen as he snapped on some gloves. 

“Everything seems normal, it’s as if he were just sleeping. Look,” he pointed to one of the screens above Peters bed as he placed monitors on the boy's temples. “He’s dreaming.” 

Tony sighed a little, relieved that Peter didn’t seem to be dying but his knuckles were still bleached white where he gripped the side of the stretcher. 

“What if it’s a coma? Loony Toon said he was giving Peter a gift because he didn’t know what it was like to have a father to protect him. What if he’s stuck in a dream world? That’s not crazy, right?”

Bruce pushed his glasses up his nose before he pulled Peters spider suit to his waist. “Hmm, I guess it’s somewhere in the realm of possibility, I mean, we’ve certainly seen stranger things than that.” 

That did not make Tony feel better. He squeezed his hands tighter on the bed frame and tried not to panic. “How do we get him out of it?” 

Bruce paused, thinking before he gently lifted Peters' arm and hung it over the kid's face. And then he dropped it. 

Peters' hand smacked his nose and his blank sleeping face crumpled into one of pain a second before he was enveloped in a puff of smoke. 

“Peter!”

Tony lunged forward to grab the kid only to be met with the chubby, soft arm of a toddler instead. 

“WAHHHHH!” The child was crying, nose red, his Spider-Man suit pushed down to his wai- his Spider-Man suit?!

Tony’s jaw dropped open as he watched the kid wail, little hands coming up to his nose. 

“Oh my god. Peter?!”

Bruce’s eyebrows bounced upwards and he hummed, looking at the monitors on the wall. “Hmm. That’s not normal.”

Tony was about to explode. “YOU THINK? Do something!”

Bruce gestured to the kid on the stretcher. “Do what? What am I supposed to do with this?”

Tony groaned and took matters into his own hands, taking Peters hands away from his face and leaning down to see him. “Peter, kiddo look at me.”

Peters crying was slowing down as the throbbing in his nose eased and he sniffled, opening his wet eyes to see Mr Stark in front of him. 

Big sad tears fell down his soft round cheeks and he reached for his mentor. “Midder Starrr.” 

Everything within Tony melted in that instant as tiny fingers reaching for him, and he reached back without a thought, pulling little Peter to his chest and wrapping his arms around him. 

“Aw, Petey, you’re okay.”

Peter lay his head against Tony's shoulder, hiccuping as he sniffled, brown curls soft against Tony's big hand as he brushed Peters hair back. “Unca Bruce hurt Petey's dose.”

Bruce smiled at the little boy and Tony felt like his heart was about to explode. Tony wasn’t usually one for affection but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to snuggle the little love bug. He pulled Peter up against his shoulder and cuddled him close, rocking side to side as he pressed his cheek to the boy's hair. 

“He didn’t mean to, he was trying to wake you up.”

Peter shook his head. “Noo.”

Tony laughed a little and looked up at Bruce. “Bruce, say sorry to Peter.”

The doctor frowned, offended. “What? Why?”

Tony held Peter tight, rubbing his back as they swayed. “You upset him.”

Of course, it hadn’t been Bruce’s intention to hurt the kid but being told to apologize to a child for doing his job was a little degrading. Of course, he loved Peter too much not to do it. He leaned down and offered a hand to the boy. “I’m sorry for hurting your nose, Peter. Would it be alright if I checked it to make sure you’re okay?”

Peter peeked at him from under Tony's chin and nodded, reaching out his chubby hand to curl around Bruce's index finger. He’d stopped crying and he rubbed at his wet cheeks as Bruce gently prodded around his nose, to make sure he was okay. 

Tony watched as Bruce got a cheeky look in his eyes and tapped a finger to Peters' nose, booping him and making him jump and swipe at his hands. “Does that hurt?”

Peter shook his head and Bruce frowned theatrically. “How about this?”

He wriggled his fingers under Peters' chin, eliciting a small laugh from the toddler as he squirmed on the bed. “Nooo.”

Bruce smiled and tickled Peters soft tummy, laughing as Peter squealed, little feet kicking. “What about now?”

Tony caught the boy as he rocked back, giggling and wiggling away from the tickling fingers. “Noo, stop Unca Bruce!”

Tony laughed along with the two of them, hand under Peters back so he wouldn't fall off the bed as he rocked back from laughing. All of a sudden a sparkly puff of smoke enveloped Peter and the weight against Tony's hand grew too heavy for him to hold. 

The weight fell to the floor with a thunk and the smoke cleared to reveal a teenager Peter laying on the ground looking up at Tony. 

“Uhh, Mr Stark? What's happening?”

:::::::::::::::::::::

Loki peered at the teenager, fingers perched on his chin as he walked around Peter. “Who did this?”

Tony watched the god carefully, ready to get in between if he tried anything with Peter, although that's what Thor had come for. “Some crazy guy. He eats powered people to gain their abilities but I don’t know much about him.”

Loki nodded and Peter turned to Tony behind him, whining. “Mr Stark, do I have to wear my mask?”

Peter was sitting in his sweatpants and hoodie, spider mask over his face and Tony crossed his arms. “Yes. We don’t trust Loki with your identity. He’s an asshole.”

Loki raised an eyebrow at the mechanic, offended. “I came here to help, Stark. There’s no need to insult me.”

Thor leaned against the wall lazily, shrugging. “You are an asshole, brother.”

Loki, having heard that enough times from his brother and everyone else, didn’t really care all that much anymore. He rolled his eyes and poked at Peters' chest, the boy pulling away with a cry of indignation. 

“Hey!” 

Loki turned to Tony, a slight hint of mischief in his eyes that the mechanic did not like. “I’m going to try something and I need you to let me.”

Tony shook his head. “I’m not going to let you do anything if you phrase it like that. What do you have in mind?”

Loki ignored him, leaning down into Peter's face, looking just a tiny bit pleased with himself.

“You’re a failure. Stark doesn’t care for you in the least.” 

Peter frowned under his mask, voice whiny and hurt. “What? That’s not true.”

Tony couldn’t agree more. He stepped forward, reaching for Peter. “Loki, stop.”

The god held up a hand and kept going, smiling outright. “You think you’re so smart. I could kill you in a millisecond and there’s nothing you could do about it.”

Tony put his foot down. “Loki!” 

The god thrust a hand forward and would have shoved Peter off the table of the kid hadn’t felt him coming with his spider senses. He dodged the shove, only to be pushed from behind when Loki appeared on the other end of the table. 

Peter fell to the floor, disappearing into smoke as a cloud of it suddenly enveloped him. Thor grabbed his brother and yanked him back as Tony reached down for the toddler now crying on the tiles. 

“Peter, are you okay buddy?” 

He scooped the kid into his arms and held him to his chest, comforting him as he told off the little gremlin across the room. “You don’t touch him again! I want you out.” 

Thor nodded and began pulling him out, only for that Loki to disappear and another one to walk through the door. “If you’d have paid attention you’d see I was conducting one of those experiments you’re so fond of.” 

Tony narrowed his eyes as Loki smugly explained. “The child changed when he was in distress,” 

Another puff of smoke went up like a mushroom cloud and Tony coughed, waving it away to find the toddler in his arms was now a teenager, clinging to his side. 

“And changed back when comforted.” Loki finished, smiling as Peter jumped down from Tony’s side, embarrassed. 

Tony nodded, albeit begrudgingly. “Fine. So what does that mean?” 

Loki shrugged stepping in front of Peter who was trying very hard not to jump behind Tony, who himself was trying not to shove him back. 

“Shall we try again?” 

Peter looked uncertainly to Tony, finding a nod and a reassuring smile, which quickly turned into a glare as his gaze went back to Loki. 

“No touching.” 

Loki rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” 

He smiled again and Peter leaned back, not trusting him. Loki held up a hand, flicking his fingers out and pulling a cookie from midair. 

“Want a snack?”

Peter looked at it, suspicious, but reached for it anyway, only for Loki to pull it away. “No cookies for losers.”

He turned away and took a bite. Peter clenched his fists despite himself, eyes on his mask narrowing as he grew angry. 

Loki turned back and offered a candy bar instead. “I’m sorry that was mean of me. Have some chocolate.” 

Peter waited a moment before snapping an arm out and trying to grab the chocolate. Again Loki pulled it away, this time shaking it mockingly and laughing. “Too slow, Spider-child.” 

Peter tried to keep his cool, his hands clenching at his side and his teeth grinding together but Loki didn’t back down. He conjured another one of himself next to Peter to poke at his side irritatingly. 

“Got you, dim wit.” 

Peter made a low growling noise under his breath, flinching as Loki did it again, another version of himself popping up and poking him. “Got you again. Not so fast either, are you?”

The growling got louder and Tony began to get worried. Loki was laughing now, finding pleasure in his little game while Peter tried not to blow a gasket. He held off for as long as he could but finally, he snapped. 

Loki had conjured another self, laughing as it popped up beside Peter. His voice was mocking and cruel. “Mr Stark doesn’t care about you.” 

His extended finger was just inches from poking the teenager in the side when Peter disappeared. 

The now expected plume of smoke billowed up but Tony didn’t see little Peter until Loki reared back, grunting in pain. 

Peter had leapt up from the floor and attached himself to Loki's chest with his feet so that he could pound on the god face with his tiny fists, throwing a new punch for each word he screamed out.

“YOU’RE-” smack “A” smack “LIAR!” smack “MY DADDY LOVES ME!”

Tony would have liked to spend all day watching a tiny superpowered Peter punch Loki repeatedly in his stupid face but there was also the worry that Loki would retaliate. So, he ran forward and pulled Peter away. 

“Stop! Pete, calm down!”

Loki panted, smoothing out his dark dress shirt as he gathered his composure once more. Thor was laughing behind him, thoroughly pleased to see his brother attacked by the youngest Avenger and Loki glared at him before addressing Tony. 

“The changes are tied to his emotions. Anytime he is upset and needs comfort he will revert back until he gets what he needs. Stark, let Thor comfort him, you’ll see.”

Tony held Peter with an arm around his stomach, furious arms and feet still kicking and reaching for Loki. “What do you mean what he needs? Peter, stop.”

Thor didn’t seem to understand either but he took Peter from Tony and held him to his shoulder with one hand. “Don’t listen to Loki, Peter. He’s a bully.”

Loki looked offended but didn’t retaliate, simply waiting and watching as Thor tried to calm Peter down. Tony wanted to hold him and take care of him but he trusted Thor, and Loki did seem to have a point so, he waited. 

Peter cried into his shoulder, worked up and red-faced as he whined. “He said Midder Star don’t love me.”

Thor beamed, not because of what he’d said but because the little boy was so cute. He patted Peters' hair and pointed to Tony. “But you know that isn't true. Look, he’s watching you right now to make sure you’re okay. You love Peter, don’t you, Stark.”

Peter peeked out of Thor's neck and watched Tony offer a smile. “Of course, Spider-Baby. I love you more than anything in the whole world.”

That was not usually something he would ever say to anyone other than maybe Pepper. But with Peter so small and looking at him like that, big eyes so sad and hopeful he couldn’t help but give him everything he wanted. 

Peter twisted away from Thor and reached for Tony, hands making grabby motions until Thor relented and handed him over. Tony held the boy and kissed his forehead as Peter clung to him. 

“I love you too, Midder Star.”

Tony laughed softly, smiling down at Peter. “Buddy, it’s okay. You can call me Tony.”

Peter beamed, and tried out the new word. “Tomy!!”  
Stark tried again. “No, kiddo. It’s Tony. To-ny.”

“Tomy.” Peter seemed happy enough and Thor laughed as Tony tried once more. 

“Petey, come on. Say Toe.”

Peter looked up at him legs wrapped around the mechanic's waist as he sat on his hip. “Toe!”

Stark nodded, rocking from side to side. “Good! Now, say ‘knee’.” 

“Knee!”

“Good! Now, put it all together!”

Peter flung an arm out, happy as ever. “Tomy!” 

Even Loki laughed a little and Stark gave up nuzzling his nose against Peters. “You got it, bud.”

Loki waved a hand like he’d actually done something, as the toddler disappeared with a puff of smoke, leaving a much larger Peter hanging off of Tony’s hip. 

“And there he goes, returning to you once you’ve smothered him in parental guidance.”

Tony set a blushing and embarrassed Peter down, ruffling the kid's hair to let him know there was nothing to feel bad about. “It’s called love, Loki. You might want to try it sometime.”

The god raised his chin, looking mildly disgusted by the idea. “No thank you.”

Thor smiled, goofy and wide as he wrapped his huge arms around his brother, hugging from behind. “Aww come on, Loki. You know you love me.”

Loki curled his lip, trying to shove his brother off only to get a big kiss on his cheek as Thor hugged him tighter. “Brother, let go!”

“Not until you admit that you love me!”

Loki struggled in his hold again, summoning a knife to his hand and shoving it back towards Thor. The older god laughed and grabbed it before it could do any damage. “You’ve stabbed me far too many times to trick me now, Loki. Come on, admit it!”

Loki growled and grabbed his brother, flipping him over his shoulder. Tony thought that was about time to go. “Pete, let's leave them to their sibling bonding.”

“IT'S NOT BONDING ITS MURDER!”

 

Peter ignored Loki’s yelling as well as the crashing of equipment as the two gods wrestled, following Tony out instead. 

“Hey, To-I mean, Mr Stark. Can’t Loki fix this?”

Tony sighed and wrapped an arm around the kid's shoulder as they strode down the hall away from the destruction. 

“Pete...Loki was here to help us make sense of it but...he said it’s not the same kind of magic that he has. He works in illusions and tricks and Magic man is more of a...persuader. Loki can’t undo someone else's spell.”

Peter pulled away, stricken. “What? So, I’m stuck like this?! What am I supposed to do?!”

Tony took his arm, calming him down before he could go ‘poof’ again. “Hey, hey. We’ll figure something out, it’s okay. It’s not just you in this, okay? I’m here and everyone in this compound is going to help. Do you understand? It’s not all on you.”

Peter let out a breath and nodded. “Okay.”

Together or not, fixing the problem was easier said than done and the truth was, Tony had no idea how they were going to fix it. He had been hoping Loki would be able to magic it all away but that was apparently a non-starter. 

But they wouldn’t give up and he wouldn’t let it interrupt or disrupt Peters future. 

“I can’t go to school like this!”

“Peter-“ 

The kid shoved the lunch box, that Tony had very kindly packed for him, back across the bench. “I’m serious! I’m not going! What if something happens? How am I supposed to explain that?”

Tony pushed the lunchbox back, voice stern. “You’ll have Ned and you’ll have me keeping an eye on your tracker. Now, if you don’t get your butt into the car in five minutes I’ll take away the juice box.”

Peter narrowed his eyes. “What kind?”

Tony narrowed his too, the two of them poised like they were in a standoff of epic juice proportions. 

“Apple.”

Peter gasped dramatically. “That’s my favourite!”

Tony smiled, smug as he dangled the lunchbox in front of the teenager. “I know. But you only get it if you go to school.”

Peter rolled his eyes but obliged, knowing he didn’t really have a choice. It was either go to school willingly with juice or be dropped off by Iron-Man with no juice. He made his way out the door, Mr Stark calling out an amused ‘Have fun at school! Listen to your teachers!’ as he went. 

It wasn’t fair. What was he supposed to do in school when Flash inevitably pushed him and made him poof into a child? Mr Stark wouldn't even be there to help him. The whole situation was unfair. Not only was it embarrassing to constantly change into a toddler but he’d called Mr Stark ‘dad’ and there was no forgetting that. 

Happy barely looked at him as he slid into the back seat and connected his phone to the Bluetooth speakers. “You’re late.”

Peter sighed, playing ‘Learn to let go’ and buckling his seat belt. “Sorry.”

Happy started the engine and frowned at the kid's music choice. “Kesha? Really?”

Peter slumped in his seat, head sagging back. “I need the encouragement right now and she speaks to me.”

Happy rolled his eyes and drove on, ignoring the sulking teenager as he sang along. 

When they finally arrived, Ned was bouncing on the pavement in excitement, practically pulling Peter out of the car before it had come to a complete stop. “Dude! You have to show me!”

Peter grabbed his bag and thanked Happy before shutting the door, walking with Ned to class. “What? No way.”

He’d updated his best friend that morning through texts and various snapchats of Tony's face and he’d been hoping for some support. 

“Come on, please? It’ll be so funny!” Apparently, that was not on the table. 

Peter frowned and tugged on the straps of his backpack. “It’s not funny, it’s weird and embarrassing and if I do poof again I won’t be able to come back until Mr Stark helps me.”

Thank Ned took in the morose look on face and sighed, collecting himself. “Sorry. Anything I can do to help?”

Peter leaned his head down on Ned's shoulder, the other boys arm coming around his shoulder to hug him to his side as they walked. “Just don’t let Flash anywhere near me today.”

Ned nodded and steered them towards chemistry. “You got it.”

Ned was great, really Ned was the best friend that Peter could have asked for and it seemed like every day Peter found himself even more grateful to have him by his side.

“Hey, Penis. How's that internship going?”

Peter sunk down in his seat, trying to block out Flash’ annoying, taunting voice as Ned sneered at the bully. 

“Hey, Flash. Have you heard about that new bug going around? I think I have it and I’m about to sneeze.”

Flash raised his hands and backed away, looking horrified. “Don’t you dare! Keep you and Peters disgusting diseases away from me!”

Ned snickered. “Too easy.”

He wrapped an arm around his best friend, squeezing him in a side hug as he pressed their chairs closer. “I got you, buddy. I won’t let Flash get to you.”

Peter found himself smiling, thumping a grateful hand on Ned’s chest. “Thanks, dude. You’re the best.”

The boy smiled, expression something akin to sunshine, bright and happy. “I am, aren’t I?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, thank you so much for the comments and support for this story I'm so glad you like it! Secondly, lol I'm sorry this took so long. I've started a new role at work and I have a lot of shifts so ye. Also this chapter is focussed a lot on Tony but doesn't really have Tony in it? So, I promise there will be more Tony and Peter together in the next chapter. I hope you like it!!!

Unfortunately, as much as Ned would have liked to, he couldn't protect Peter from everything.

MJ turned in her seat, their third-period English teacher too focussed on the board to notice. Her concerned face met Peters and she kept her voice low, making Ned lean over to hear. 

“Peter, have you seen this?”

She handed him her phone, her voice lost to him as Peters entire world disappeared in an instant. “I’m so sorry.”

He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move or think. The news report playing on the screen taking all of his attention in a blinding panic. ‘Tony Stark, notorious billionaire, genius and hero, has suffered a heart attack in his home this morning. He was reported to have collapsed in his lab where he was found by his friend and fellow Avenger, Dr Banner and taken to emergency surgery. Our sources tell us that while he is being given the best care possible he is in critical condition. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the man who has saved so many.’

Peter seemed to be frozen and Ned leaned over to see the screen, anxiety skyrocketing at the words rolling across the screen. He didn’t hesitate, grabbing Peter from his chair and dragging him from the room, ignoring the call from his teacher to come back. 

Peter was floppy in his arms, nothing but deadweight as he tried to process the information given to him but Ned knew he didn’t have time and bolted from the room. Making his way down the hall, he felt Peters' arms wrap around him as he began to panic. 

“Ned, he’s-!”

Ned didn’t stop running, looking for anywhere to hide the teenager when he inevitably poofed into a child. Peter was mumbling against his neck as they moved, barely even registering that he was speaking at all. 

“He’s dead-he’s dead-he’s gone- I can’t-” 

Ned wasn’t sure why it took so long, maybe it had been the sudden realisation that there was no place he’d rather be than with Tony but suddenly smoke enveloped them both and Ned's feet skidded to a stop. 

“WAHHHHHHH!”

The now tiny Peter in Ned’s arms started screaming, balling his eyes out in his best friends arms and Ned let out a curse, eyes darting around, looking for somewhere to hide. 

The classrooms were all full, toilets weren’t secure and if Ned didn’t get the kid somewhere soon he’d be asked questions he couldn’t answer. 

He held Peter tight and tried to soothe him, with the little babysitting experience he had. “Shh, Peter please stop crying.”

Janitor's closet? Cliche but necessary. He ran for it, pulling the door open and darting inside, closing the door behind him. 

Peter’s cries turned into screams in the dark and Ned scrambled for the lights, hugging his best friend close as he rocked from side to side. “I know, I know. Just calm down, little dude.”

Switching from pitch blackness to bright lights in an instant wasn’t easy on spider senses and Peter shoved his face into Ned's neck, little cries turning into words. 

“Want Tomy!”

Ned couldn't even imagine the amount of pain being held inside such a small body, the news of Tony’s heart attack hit him hard too and he cupped a hand at the back of Peters' head, still rocking. “I know, buddy. I’m so sorry. We’ll call someone to come get us, okay? We’ll be okay.”

Living the life he did, Peter knew he wouldn't always be able to call for help when he needed it, and he knew Ned was put in danger because of his proximity to all the Spider-man craziness. Which was why Ned had a list of emergency numbers a mile long. 

Ned shifted Peters weight to one arm and used his other hand to dig around for his phone, squinting at his contact list as he scrolled for the right number. 

Tony’s name rolled up and he paused, heart aching for his friend and the worry that he knew was trapping Peter in his small new frame. Peter whimpered against him and he scrolled on until the right name popped up. 

He’d never had an emergency great enough to call it and although he’d met the person before he still felt nervous. Ned held his breath and dialled all the same. 

“Ned. Has Peter seen-?” Steve’s voice was heavy and wet, no doubt from the mess of panic going on around Tony and he sniffed through his words. 

The teenager ignored the mind-blowing revelation that one of earth's greatest hero had his number saved to focus on the matter at hand. He’d freak out later. 

“Yeah. He’s...he’s little now and he won’t calm down. I don’t know what to do.”

Ned could hear the captain take a shaky breath through the phone, voice coming back stronger now that he had something to do. “I’ll come to get you. He won’t be able to turn back until...until Tony calms him down. I’ll be there soon, just hang tight.”

Ned nodded and called out for the hero before he could hang up, needing to know. “Mr Rogers...How is he?”

Steve sighed, quiet and sad and it only made Ned more afraid. “Not good. I’ll see you soon.”

He hung up and Ned put his phone back in his pocket, hugging Peter against him and asking Odin not to let Peter lose another dad. 

:::::::::::::::::::::

Steve swiped his knuckles across his cheeks, ridding himself of tears as he climbed into Clint's car and raced to Peter’s school. 

Happy would have usually taken on the task but he was so worried over his boss and Pepper was a mess. Rhodey was taking care of the press and Bruce was taking care of Tony’s treatment and if Steve didn’t have something to do he would lose it. 

Bucky placed a hand on his shoulder, sitting in the passenger seat beside him, voice smooth and quiet. “Steve, slow down. Peters not in any danger.”

The car noticeably slowed and Steve sighed, catching Bucky's hand across the centre console when it pulled away from his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, you're right. Thanks for coming with me.”

Bucky nodded, thinking of the day he’d stood beside his best friend in the snow as Steve buried his father. “I know how hard this is on you. You’ve known Stark a long time and now with Peter-”

Steve’s words lost their steady beat, coming as shaky, trembling things. “Losing my dad was so hard, I barely got Mom through it. Peter lost two fathers already, I don’t know how to tell him he could lose a third.”

Bucky squeezed the hand in his, thumb sweeping across the back of Steve’s hand. “Hey, we don’t know that. Bruce said he’s bringing in a specialist and that Starks already showing signs of improvement. It’ll be okay.”

Steve wasn’t sure he believed it until he looked over and saw Bucky watching him. His eyes were clear and bright and his gaze was steady. Steve nodded. “Yeah. It’ll be okay.”

They found Ned in the janitor's closet the phone trace took them to, Peter still crying into his shoulder. 

Ned sighed when he saw them, relief slipping off his shoulders like physical weight and he quickly handed Peter over to Steve's waiting hands. “Thank god, you’re here. He won’t stop. I can’t calm him down.”

Peter wasn’t screaming like he had been, having tired himself out too much to make any bigger fuss than a small sniffle and a quiet sigh. Steve held him to his chest, Peters legs curling up as his hands folded into fists in the older man's shirt. He laid his curly hair down on Steve’s shoulder, face wet with tears that wouldn't stop. 

Bucky nodded as he shook out the small baby blanket he’d brought, draping it across Steve’s chest and over Peter, to hide him from view and block out the light. “It’s okay. We’ll take care of him.”

Ned peered up at the two vets, forehead crumpling at the slightly puffy cheeks of the first Avenger. “He’ll be okay, right?”

It wasn’t clear whether he was asking about Peter or Tony but Steve looked to Bucky before answering, chin rising a little at Bucky's unwavering gaze. “Yeah, they’ll be okay. We’ll make sure of it. You go back to class and we’ll keep you updated.”

Ned didn’t want to leave his best friend but there wasn’t much he could do to help and he definitely wasn’t prepared to refuse Captain America. So, he simply nodded and excused himself, promising to drop Peters school bag off after school. 

Peter was quiet under the blanket, falling asleep against Steve’s warm chest and Bucky tugged his cap down to hide his face as much as he could. “We should get going before kids start coming out of classes.”

Steve nodded and followed him out to the car. 

::::::::::

Peter was almost asleep when Steve lowered him into the car seat. Thank god for good timing, Clint having visited from home just that week, bringing his car and baby’s seat with him. 

Bucky got into the driver's seat as Steve buckled Peter in, watching his face scrunch as he woke up. 

“Shh, Shh.” 

Peter scrubbed his little fists over his eyes and started to whimper, getting himself worked up again and Steve sighed. “Come on, Peter. We all feel like crying but we have to get through it, okay? Come on, little buddy.”

He took the seat next to the boy and shut the door, urging Bucky on. “Let’s go, I’ll sit back here with him.” 

The engine started and the car rumbled, and Peters red face started scrunching again as he cried. “Waaahhhhhh!” 

Steve took one of the boy's hands in his fingers and shushed him, kissing his fist. “Shhh, Petey. Go back to sleep.” 

The ride didn’t take long but Peter just wouldn’t stop crying. Steve wanted to give up and cry too but Bucky's eyes in the rear view mirror kept him steady and he remained dry-eyed when they arrived back at the compound. 

Peter wasn’t any happier to get out of the car and he wailed against Steve’s neck as he was carried inside. 

“Peter, I need you to quieten down now, okay? We need to see how Tony’s doing and we can’t go near the infirmary if you’re crying.”

Peter didn’t seem to hear anything but the name and he looked up, eyes bright, his words wet and sniffly. “Petey see Tomy?”

Steve made his way down the hall, Bucky at his side as he shook his head. “Not just yet. We need to talk to the doctor first.”

Peter shook his head, eyes huge and filling with tears again as his bottom lip wobbled. It was the most adorable sad face Steve had ever seen and he was powerless against it. 

“No Tomy?”

Bucky tapped a gentle finger under Peters' chin, trying for a smile. “You can see him when he’s ready but right now you just stay with Uncle Steve, okay?”

Peter squeezed his eyes shut and sunk his head back, opening his mouth as he cried all over again, even louder than last time. 

Steve groaned, slowing his footsteps. They couldn’t disrupt everyone else’s grieving with a crying child. 

“Peter just-“

“I WANT TOMY!”

“I know but you can’t-“

“DON’ WANT UNCA STEEB!”

Steve rose his voice just enough to be heard over the kids crying.   
“We can go see Tony. Just take a deep breath, buddy.”

Peter blinked his tear-filled eyes open as he hiccuped, watching Steve lift a hand toward him.

“Now, put that in there.” Steve knew it was silly and not a great habit to introduce but if it kept Peter quiet it was good enough for him. He gently pushed Peters thumb to that little mouth and watched the boy immediately latch on. 

As soon as the thumb was in his mouth Peter gave up, dropping forward and pressing the side of his face to Steve’s shoulder. His breaths still came as hiccuped, jumpy gasps but he was settling and that’s all Steve could ask for. 

Steve closed his eyes in relief and rocked the boy gently as they made their way to the infirmary. 

Rhodey found them first, sitting out in the lounge/waiting room, head in his hands. He looked up as they entered and got up to meet them. 

“Hey, how is he?” Steve couldn’t help but ask, though he knew the answer already. 

Rhodey sighed, looking wrecked as he rubbed a hand over his head like he needed something to do with his hands to ground himself. “Bruce and Helen are with him now, they said he’s responding to the medication but…”

Steve nodded, rocking quietly as Peter watched Rhodey with wide brown eyes as he continued. “He knew he was at risk of a heart attack and he didn’t tell anyone. He kept telling me he was fine.”

He blinked, taking a deep breath and settling on a different topic before he started crying again. “How’s Peter?”

Bucky rubbed the boys back as he frowned. “He wouldn’t stop crying. He just wants to see Tony.”

Peter sat up again at the name, thumb popping out of his mouth long enough to ask the same question he’d been stuck on for the last twenty minutes. “Petey see Tomy?”

Steve shook his head again. “Not yet. The doctors are with him.”

Peter frowned, sadness evidently turning to anger. “He’s mine!”

Rhodey stepped in, voice more gentle than Steve had ever heard it. “Tony’s not feeling very well, Peter. He needs a little time to take some medicine before you can see him.”

Peter seemed to understand that a little better and laid back down on Steve’s chest, thumb going right back to his mouth. 

Bucky rubbed a hand on Steve’s back this time, soothing the former soldier as he spoke. “How about we get everyone something to eat? How are Pepper and Happy?”

Rhodey nodded at the suggestion, leading the three to the kitchen. “Shaken up. Pepper got there right after Bruce did and it wasn’t easy to see. Happy is going crazy with his security thing and won’t leave Tony’s side even during treatment. It’s driving Bruce mad. Natasha’s with Pepper now.”

They made their way into the kitchen and Rhodey busied himself with protein bars and fruit. 

Steve watched him carefully, hand on the back of Peters' head as he swayed, voice soft in the quiet room. “How are you doing?”

Rhodes' hands faltered on their task and he sighed. “For as much trouble he gets me in...I can’t imagine my life without him. I don’t want to.”

Steve nodded, hand leaving Peters curls to grip the other man's shoulders in comfort. “You don’t have to. He’ll be okay.”

“Wodie sad?” 

The little voice pulled Rhodes attention up to the small boy and he saw two wide eyes staring back at him, grabby hands reaching for him. 

Steve handed him over and Rhodey took Peter in his arms, unsure what to do or what Peter wanted. But the toddler just lay his head on his shoulder and reached a hand as far as he could get to Rhodey’s back and started patting as Steve had done to him. 

It was a kind enough gesture that Rhodey let out a small huff of laughter and hugged the spider tight. “Thanks, Pete.”

Bucky watched, a small smile growing on his face because he knew what Tony had relayed about Magic Man and his motives. Peter was little because he needed someone to comfort him, but now it was just the opposite. The toddler was comforting everyone else. But that wasn’t Magic man's magic. That was just Peter. 

Rhodey looked down at the curly head pressed to him and ran a hand through Peters' hair, voice brighter than before. 

“How about we get this little guy some food, huh? You hungry?”

:::::::::::::

Peter was sitting on Bucky's knee eating his fruit cubes when Bruce finally came out with some news. 

Rhodey and Steve stood so fast Peter jumped a little, dropping his piece of apple into his bowl. Bucky patted his tummy to settle him as they all waited for Bruce to say the words they were waiting for. 

“He’ll be okay.”

A collective sigh of relief sounded through the room and it felt as if gravity had been weighing heavier than normal all that time and was only now being corrected. Bruce looked shaky and Steve quickly pulled him over to sit down. 

“What happened? He was fine yesterday and then-”

Bruce shook his head, lifting a hand to wipe at his forehead. “No, he wasn’t. He’s had heart issues for years; mini heart attacks that he ignored, complications from that shrapnel and...god, I should have noticed.”

Rhodey looked nauseous. “This isn’t on you.”

Bruce took a deep breath in and seemed to shake off whatever thought was weighing him down. He sat up straighter and gestured towards the door. “Pepper and Happy are with him now but you can see him if you want. Just keep it calm in there.”

Bruce seemed to be content to have some time alone and Rhodey left without another word. Steve waited for Bucky to stand before taking his hand and making their way out but Peter made grabby hands at his left behind fruit and Bucky bounced him in his hold. “We’re going to see Tony now, kid. You can have more fruit later.”

Peters wide eyes snapped to Buckys and he stilled. “Tomy?”

Steve nodded, leading them down the hall to Tony’s room. “Yeah, buddy. But he’s really tired so you need to stay quiet, okay?”

Peter nodded vigorously, grabbing hold of Buckys collar as they moved. Rhodey went in ahead, closing the door behind him and Steve and Bucky stopped in front of the door. 

Peter tugged on Buckys collar, whining. “Tomy.”

Steve ruffled his hair but it didn’t make Peter feel any better. “I know, bud but Happy, Pepper and Rhodey are already in there. We just have to wait our turn.”

“No! Tomy, now!”

Peter wiggled out of Bucky's arms, forcing the soldier to put him down before he dropped him and Peter slapped his palms on the door. “Tomy!”

“Peter, stop!”

Steve reached for him, tugging him back in time to miss the door swinging out with Pepper on the other side. Her face was red, eyes puffy but she looked immaculate as always and smoothed her hands down her dress as she nodded at the two trying to explain. 

“I’m sorry, I told him to-”

“Pepper, I’m so sorry he’s-”

She waved a hand and they both shut their mouths, Peter still wriggling in Steves grasp. 

 

“It's okay. I know about the magic thing...whatever. You can bring him in. I know Tony would want Peter with him.”

She opened the door and Steve carried Peter inside, till finally there he was, buried beneath monitors and blankets, asleep. 

“Tomy!” Peter reached for Tony and Steve put him down on the edge of the bed, holding him back as he whispered to him. 

“Be gentle, okay?”

Peter pushed his hands away but did as he was told, making sure to be gentle as he scooted closer to Tony until he could lay his head down on his shoulder. Finally, where he wanted to be, he sighed and curled his fist into the gown Tony was wearing, content to just feel his mentors chest rise and fall under his ear. 

The poor boy was exhausted and closed his eyes, quiet words stilling everyone in the room.

“Night night, Daddy.”

Steve looked up from the two to find everyone else's expressions matched his. Pepper had a hand over her mouth, eyes wet with tears, Rhodey looked as if he’d stopped breathing and Happy looked absolutely wrecked. Peter had never called Tony ‘Dad’ before. At least not in front of them. Even as a child.

Suddenly, Steve couldn’t stop the thought from growing in his mind like a weed he’d very much like to cut out. If Tony didn’t wake up; if he...Peter wouldn't come back and Steve couldn't help but wonder if they’d be losing two heroes in one night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theres a little bit of swearing in this one just warning you
> 
> also thank you for the kudos and comments! they make me so happy!! I'm so glad you're liking this!!

Steve took another sip of his coffee, scrubbing at his stubble with one hand, voice rumbly and tired. “He won't leave. I pulled him out so Bruce could do his thing but he screamed until I let him back in. What are we supposed to do?”

Natasha flopped an arm over her eyes as she laid on the couch, head resting on Steve’s knee. “He made me sing the same song to him eleven times.”

Steve sighed, handing his coffee to her for a sip. “I don’t know how long we can keep doing this.”

Natasha handed the mug back, never taking her arm off her face. “You ever hear that saying ‘it takes a village’? They lied. It takes an entire fucking city. We need more Avengers.”

It wasn’t that they didn’t love Peter, of course, they did! But when Peter is two years old and stuck like glue to Tony’s side, it’s a little difficult to take care of him. 

Steve’s watch beeped and he held in a groan, handing his mug to Natasha before gently easing her off his knee. “That's Sam’s shift done. I gotta get back.”

Steve rolled out his shoulders as he made his way back to Tony’s room, hearing Peters’ voice interrupt Sams before he’d even got to the door. 

“My-”

“No, read it to Daddy.”

A sigh, tired and sad. “Peter, this is your book. You asked for the story.”

Steve made his way to the door, watching through the little window as Peter pouted and smacked the book with a hand. “It’s for Daddy!”

Sam sighed and Steve leaned against the doorway, watching as Sam shifted Peter on his lap so they were both facing Tony. Peter leaned back against Sams’ chest and stuck his thumb in his mouth, waiting. 

“My Daddy is a hero. My Daddy may look quite normal, no different from the rest but out of all the daddies in the world, I promise mines the best.”

Steve smiled a little, watching Sam press his cheek to Peters curls as he read on. 

When someone you love is hurt and there's nothing you can do for them, it’s nice to be needed by someone else. And Peter was easy to love. 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“Come on, kiddo. Into your pjs.”

One curl-covered head shook, thumb popping out of his mouth just long enough to speak. “Petey no tired.”

Clint nodded his head, holding the onesie out in front of him like he was going to catch Peter with it. 

“Petey yes tired. You need to go to bed.”

Peter shook his head again, scrambling from his chair to Tony’s bed and laying his head down on his mentors shoulder. “Ni-night.”

Clint sighed and dropped the onesie on the side table. “I know you want to stay with him but you can’t. You have to sleep in your own bed.” 

Peter watched him for a moment, considering before he sat up and tapped a gentle hand on Tony’s arm. “Daddy wake up and sleep with Petey.”

Clint lurched forward, grabbing the kid just as he called out again. “Daddy, wake up!”

Clint pulled Peter off the bed and to his chest. 

“Shit, Peter stop! Daddy needs rest to-“ Tony moved. Tony moved? His eyebrows scrunched a little, mouth opening to release a pained breath and Clint’s heart beat eagerly as he leaned forward. 

“Tony? Can you hear me?”

Eyes scrunched, opening to blink and Peter let out a cry, happy and rippling giggles. “Daddy!”

The boy snuggled into Tony’s neck before Clint could grab him and Tony instinctively lifted his hands to Peters back. 

“What…? What happened?”

Clint almost didn’t want to tell him or say it in front of Peter, as if the words would make it all worse somehow. 

“You had a heart attack, man. It's so good to see you awake.”

Tony blinked, taking in the information, hand still on Peters back. “Oh.”

Suddenly his eyes went wide and he shifted in his bed.

“Where’s Pepper? She’s going to kill me- and Peter- oh god.”

Clint nodded, reaching for Peter before the kid could do any damage. “Pepper is okay, she’s dealing with the press right now and Pete’s right here.” 

He pulled Peter back, much to the child’s disappointment, and held him in front of Tony so he could see. 

Confusion clouded Tony’s eyes for a moment, weak hand reaching forward. “No, that’s not- oh shit, Magic-Man.”

Peter hung from Clint’s hands, feet kicking his tiny trainers as he pouted. “Daddy said a naughty word.”

Tony blinked away his cloudy thoughts and reached for the toddler. “Sorry, kid. Here, let me have h-wait...did you call me-?”

Peter saw his hands coming forward and smiled, kicking again and he reached for the man. “Daddy!”

Tony’s wide eyes flickered up to Clint’s as he offered a lopsided smile. “Yeaaaah, he’s been calling you that for the past couple of days.” 

Tony wasn’t sure what to do with that information and let Clint place Peter on the bed with him. “Hey, little spider. What’s up with the new name? Is ‘Tony’ too hard for you to say?”

Peter laid his head back down and snuggled close to Tony’s side, ignoring the question entirely. “Missed you.”

Tony rubbed his back, nodding. “I missed you too, kiddo. But everything’s okay now, you can poof back.”

Clint bit his lip as he waited, both of them watching for the puff of smoke, for the teenager to come back...but it didn’t come. 

Tony frowned, nasal cannula shifting as he tried again. “Can you say ‘everything’s alright’?”

Peter nodded dutifully, tongue-tying adorably on the tricky words. “Ebebing is awite.” 

Tony waited, eyebrows furrowing as he tried something else. “I love you, Spider-baby.”

Peter beamed, shuffling closer as his hands tapped against Tony’s arm excitedly. “Petey loves Daddy.”

No smoke, no puff, no teenager. 

The heart rate monitor began to speed up, an alarm blaring with dissatisfaction at Tony’s elevated pulse. 

Clint reached for his friend, worry bleeding into his voice. “Tony, calm down. Bruce said you weren’t supposed to get too excited.”

But Tony was already panicking, croaky voice loud in the small room. “Why won’t he change?!” 

He pressed his palms to the boy’s cheeks, almost yelling at the poor kid in his desperation. 

“Peter, come back to me!”

The toddler didn’t know why he was being yelled at and his bottom lip started to wobble as his wide brown eyes filled with tears. 

“Too loud.” 

The door swung open as Bruce stormed inside and suddenly Peter was being thrust into Clint’s arms and the both of them pushed from the room as Bruce tried to calm his patient. 

“Tony, take a deep breath and slow your heart rate, right now!”

Peter cried as Clint pulled him out, door swinging shut behind them. 

“Shh, I know. It’s okay, Pete.”

But it wasn’t and they both knew it. Peter wasn’t turning back, Tony was recovering and Clint had no idea what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it was short work has me exhausted but I'll try and update soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry this has taken so long, works been busy and I'm being trained for new things yay! but I just got sick also so I've mostly been sleeping and feeling like crap so if this chapter has mistakes or the ending sucks im sorry

“Arms up, honey.” Pepper rolled up Tony’s shirt in her hands, gathering the fabric at the neck hole so that she could push it over his head for him. 

It should have been more humiliating to be dressed by your smoking hot partner but Tony had done some growing in the last few years and learnt that asking for help was what made you strong. Also, Peppers hands on him was always a good thing. 

He worked to push his arms through the sleeves, Pepper taking his hands on the other side and pulling him through as gently as she could. 

He panted a little as Pepper smoothed the shirt down before grabbing his hoodie. Tony curled his lip up, grimacing at the ensemble. 

“That with this shirt? Really?” His shirt was a smart patterned print, a deep blue with colourful birds all over it. And the hoodie was an old grey one, worn out and well loved. 

Pepper sighed, the garment lowering as he tilted her head. “Peter picked it out, are you going to say no to him?”

Tony looked down to the boy currently trying to make a blanket fort with just a chair for the structure. He watched Peter stick his tongue out of his mouth in concentration, pushing his blanket over the seat of the chair to drape over the sides. 

“You know I can’t.”

Pepper smiled, smug as she got the hoodie around Tony’s shoulders. “There, you look handsome.”

Tony smirked and tugged on her hip, pulling her down to sit on his lap on the bed. “I always look handsome, but you look absolutely amazing Miss Potts.”

Pepper couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face as Tony kissed at her neck and she tried to push him back, laughing. “Tony, stop you’re not supposed to get so excited.”

“Hmm, I can’t help myself.” Tony mumbled against her skin, teeth biting just enough to make her-

“Petey want kisses too!”

Tony pulled his mouth away as Pepper gasped in surprise, the two of them watching as Peter climbed onto the end of the bed and crawled towards them, up Tony’s legs. 

He should have been annoyed that his moment was ruined but all Tony could do was smile as Peter crawled onto his lap and he pulled the boy between him and Pepper. 

“Hello, Spider-Baby.” 

Peter snuggled between the two of them, smiling as he settled himself in. “Hi, Dadda.”

Tony wriggled some fingers close to the boy, teasing him. “Have you been good for Pepper?”

Peter nodded, unusually quiet as his little fingers fiddled with the small circular monitors stuck to Tony’s pulse point. 

The Avenger hugged him closer and tried again, needing to make the kid smile. “Did you choose my outfit today?”

Peter nodded, sitting up and pointing to Tony’s shirt. “Birbies!” 

“You did a good job, buddy! I like it!” 

Peter smiled at that, finally, giggling as Tony squished his cheek with a stubbly kiss. Pepper joined in, the two of them smushing Peter between them, one kiss on each of his cheeks and he squealed, feet kicking. 

Tony caught the boy as he rocked back, watching him smile and wriggle. But still, no smoke and no teenager. 

He sighed, bouncing Peter on his hands. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He won’t change back.”

Pepper rubbed a hand on his back, soothing him in one move. “Bruce is taking another look at him today. It’ll work out.”

It would have to because as much as Tony loved having the little bundle of energy around, he missed his slightly bigger bundle of energy. 

::::::::

“Peter, can you come sit with me for a moment?”

Bruce patted the end of the examination table, smiling at the boy as he stood beside Bucky, hand clasped tight in the soldiers metal one. 

He shook his head, hiding behind Bucky's legs as his wide eyes took in the instruments on the tray beside the table. 

Bucky tugged his hand, trying to pull him forward. “Come on, little dude. It’s just Brucie. You love Uncle Bruce.”

Peter wrapped an arm around Bucky's leg and shook his head again. Bruce pushed the tray back and grabbed something else instead, pulling it from a drawer and presenting it to the boy. 

“If Spider-Man is really brave and lets me look him over, he gets a lollipop. Does that sound nice?”

Peter watched, curious and wary, but didn’t move forward to take the treat. 

Bruce hummed, lifting the candy up to the soldier. “Maybe Bucky would like it instead?”

“No! Petey's pop!”

Peters' hand was lightning quick, snatching it from Bruce in a second, making the doctor laugh. 

Bucky reached down and pulled the wrapper off for him, before grabbing the kid and lifting him over onto the table. “You got the candy, you get the exam. Sit still for Bruce now, okay?”

Peter was too preoccupied with his candy to care about the blood pressure cuff Bruce was putting on his arm and swung his feet back and forth under the table. 

“Blood pressures good, pulse is nice and strong. Peter, can you lift up your shirt?”

Peter sucked on his lollipop, blinking up innocently until Bucky tickled his tummy. “Where are your abs, Pete?” 

That got his attention and he pulled his shirt up to show his tiny little pot belly, full from the three sandwiches he’d had for lunch. 

Bruce pressed the end of his stethoscope to the boy's chest and waited, listening before standing up and putting his equipment away. “Heart sounds good and strong. He’s in perfect health. Let’s try something else.”

Bucky smoothed Peters shirt down as Bruce pulled a stool over and sat down in front of his patient. “Peter? Can you tell me how old you are?”

His curls bounced as he nodded and he held up two fingers, candy pulled from his mouth just long enough to speak. “This many. But I used to be big.”

Bruce nodded. “Do you remember when you turned little?”

Peter nodded again, lolly popping loudly from his mouth. “Daddy got sick.”

Bruce nodded, trying to find the right way to explain. “But he’s okay now and everyone is safe.”

Peter nodded, feet kicking. Bruce and Bucky shared a look before the former soldier had his turn. 

“Peter, do you feel safe?”

The toddler nodded, unbothered by how confused and concerned the two men were. 

“Are you happy?”

Peter smiled at that, holding up his lollipop as he bounced a little on the edge of the table. “I got a candy!” 

Bruce nodded, trying to be patient. How was he supposed to explain what was going on to a two-year-old? 

“Yes, you do. But what else? Are you happy...in general?”

Peter wasn’t sure what that word meant but he pointed to his shoes, trying his best to answer the question right. “I got my shoes with Unca Steeb on them.”

Bucky couldn’t help but laugh a little, rubbing the boys back in encouragement. “That’s right.”

Bruce sighed. It wasn’t Peters fault but it was frustrating. He didn’t want to go back to Tony without good news but the truth was he was way out of his depth. He tried once more, taking one of Peters' hands in his. 

“Pete? Do you want to be big again?”

He wasn’t exactly sure what answer he would be getting but the answer he got shocked both him and Bucky. 

“If I was big I could take care of Daddy.”

Bucky wrapped an arm around the kid, worry growing at the responsibility Peter was putting on himself. “That’s not your job, buddy. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Peter looked up at him, warm brown irises pulling the soldier in until they were all he could see. “Unca Ben said bye bye when I was big. I didn’t help him. I wanna help Daddy.” 

The atmosphere in the room suddenly dropped down to frigid temperatures and both Avengers wanted nothing more than to grab Peter up and snuggle him tight. 

Bucky was speechless and Bruce felt the same, wiping a hand over his eyes and sliding his stool over to his tray table. “Okay, Peter. We’ll make sure you get big again. I promise. For now, there’s only one more thing I need.”

He gave Bucky a look and the soldier nodded, subtly changing his grip on Peter so that he was holding him still. 

Bruce snapped on some gloves and grabbed a needle from his tray, he was calm and collected. Peter was not. 

“NO!” He lunged backwards, twisting away and trying to crawl back on the table but Bucky held him steady, wrapping an arm around him and holding him still. “It’s okay. Bruce is just going to take a little blood. You’ll be okay.”

Peter did not agree with the sentiment. “NO! DON’T WANT!” 

Bruce put the needle down long enough to wind the tourniquet around the boy's arm and cinch it tight, holding Peters wrist still as he dabbed a little bit of alcohol on his skin. 

Bucky grunted a little, struggling to hold the superpowered kid still, breath rushing out of him every time Peter slammed his back against Bucky's chest. “Petey, buddy, you got the candy, you get the needle. That was the deal.”

Peter had NOT agreed to that and he quickly pulled the lollipop from his mouth and threw it down to the floor. “NO!”

Bucky sighed, almost wishing that loophole worked. “Peter, it’ll be over soon. Just sit still.”

Peter kicked and cried and tried all he could to get out of Bucky's hold but he was too small and the needle came closer and closer until-

Sharp pain, piercing skin- Peter had enough. He let out an ear-splitting scream, making both men wince at the noise. 

“DADDYYYYYY!”

“Ah, shit. Peter, just calm down!” Bucky held him tight as Bruce got a few vacutainers of blood as quickly and gently as he could. 

“Almost there, buddy.”

Peter cried, tears streaming down his pink cheeks as Bruce finally pulled the needle out and pressed a cotton ball to the small bead of blood welling up. “Hold that, I’ll get a bandaid.”

Bucky obliged, head snapping up a second later when he heard someone calling down the hall. 

“Peter?! Where is he?!”

“Tony?”

Bruce looked up just as Steve dragged a still weak and recovering Tony into the room. He couldn’t have made it by himself, hardly able to stay on his feet and he panted, breaths wheezing as his panicked eyes found the boy he was searching for. 

“Peter!”

The toddler blinked through his tears and sniffled, pushing harder against Bucky as he tried to reach for the man. “Dadda!”

Tony turned his gaze to Bruce as he hobbled forward, Steve holding him up as they went. “What are you doing to him? You’re hurting him!”

Bruce almost rolled his eyes as he placed an Iron-Man bandaid on Peters' arm. “It’s just a blood test, Tony. What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be out of bed.”

Steve sighed, guilty and apologetic. “I’m sorry, I tried to tell him but he said if I didn’t help he’d just get there himself and I couldn’t watch him crawl down the hallway. It was too sad.”

Tony ignored them all as he struggled forward, making it over to Peter as Bucky finally released him. 

“Come here, Spider-Baby.” 

Peter didn't hesitate, pushing Bucky away and lunging for his dad, wrapping his arms around Tony’s neck and pressing close to his chest as he cried. “Daddyyyy. Unca Bruce and Unca B-Bucky are meeeaan.”

Bucky took offence to that, frowning as he looked around for someone to defend him. “Hey, Peter we aren't mean we just want to help you. You might not understand that now but-”

Peter shook his head, sending a scathing glare to the soldier. “No! Petey don’ like you emmy more.”

One might think that approval from a two-year-old wasn’t very important, but it was Peter and it was important. Bucky’s jaw dropped and Bruce looked genuinely hurt. 

“Peter-”

The boy pressed his cheek to Tony's shoulder and reiterated, emphasis clear in his voice. “Not Petey's friend now.”

Tony looked down at the kid, hugging him back as Steve gripped his waist, keeping him on his feet. “Peter, that’s not true. You’re hurting their feelings.”

Bruce pulled a wheelchair out of seemingly thin air and steered it behind Tony as Bucky spoke, sounding sullen and tired. “Tony, sit down. It’s fine. I’m a grown man, I’m not going to get upset just because a toddler told me I’m not his friend.” 

Bruce looked up, frowning and a little embarrassed. “I am. A little.” 

Steve lowered him down and Tony sat, sighing in relief as the weight was taken off his legs. “Spider-baby you need to say sorry. You were very rude to Bucky and Bruce and they were only trying to help you. You want to be big again don’t you?”

Peter nodded but didn’t pull his face away from his mentor's shoulder. 

“That’s all they’re trying to do. Now, say sorry.”

Peter was tired. He just wanted a nap and his lollipop back. “Sowwy Unca Bucky an’ Unca Brucie.”

Bruce smiled, not used to yet loving the title. “I forgive you, little guy.” 

Tony rested his head against Peters, savouring the hug. “Okay, let's get this snuggle bunny some snacks before he throws another tantrum. Steve, to the kitchen!”

Steve rolled his eyes, smiling as he pushed Tony’s wheelchair down the hall. “Whatever you want, Papa Bear.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry i havent updated in ages. ive been training on a new position at work so ive been having a lot of late nights and ive been starting some new sewing projects and planning out my trip so all my time and attention has been taken byb other things so i am really sorry for anyone that has been waiting and im sorry that this update is really short
> 
> ill do my best to get more of this story written and posted soon

“Petey, come get dressed, please.”

“No!” 

Steve sighed, watching as Peter tried to climb up the bookcase again, wearing nothing but his socks, underoos and Tony’s hoodie. 

“How many times have I told you not to do that. Come here and put your pants on!”

Peter wasn’t interested in listening to what Steve had to say and continued to climb, kicking books off their shelves as he went. 

“Not Daddy!”

Steve rolled his eyes and plucked the toddler off the wall as he tried to make it to the ceiling. “I know I’m not. But Daddy’s busy right now and I’m in charge.”

“No, you not! Petey is!” He squealed in that ear piercing way that only unruly children could and squirmed in Steve’s hold. 

“You’re not in charge, you’re in trouble. Do I have to call someone else in here to make you behave?”

Peter did his best to shove the super soldier away but Steve held on tight and lay him down on his bed, trying to wrestle some overalls on. 

“NO!”

“Yes! Peter, stop!”

“NO! NO PANTS!”

Peters chubby toddler legs kicked out wildly but Steve had quick hands and caught his ankles. He shoved the socked feet into their respective pant legs and yanked them up to Peters' tummy even as the boy whined, leaving the top half of the dungarees hanging down.

Steve was not one to yell at people, especially not children but he was losing patience and his voice was growing hard. “If you don’t behave I’ll have to tell Tony that you don’t deserve to play with Ned. Is that what you want?”

Peters wide eyes found Steve’s stern expression and suddenly his bottom lip was wobbling. 

“No. Petey sowy.”

He sniffed, eyes welling up as his breaths became choppy and whined and Steve regretted his tone immediately. 

“Oh, Pete.”

Peter squeezed his eyes shut and cried, hoodie sleeves so long where they dangled from his hands that they just flopped around as he wailed. 

Steve felt terrible and scooped the poor boy into his arms for a cuddle, cooing into his hair as he rocked from side to side. 

“Shh, shh. I’m sorry for yelling, kiddo. What’s wrong? Why are you so upset this morning?”

Peter snuggled against his neck as Steve rubbed his back. “I sad.” 

“Why?” Steve was sure there were plenty of things to make Peter unhappy but the more specific he got the easier it would be to fix. 

“Daddy’s not better.” He couldn’t fix that. 

All Steve could do was hug him tighter, heart aching. He was sad too. 

“I know. But he will be and right now we can help him by being there when he does his press conference. He’s a little nervous about it. It would be good to have you there to make him happy.”

Peter looked up at that, round eyes blinking away his tears. “Petey make Dadda better?”

Steve kissed the boys crown of curls and set him back down on the bed. “That's right. You can make him feel better after his speech but for now, that means getting dressed. So, we have to take this off.”

Steve gestured to the giant hoodie Peter was wearing but the boy just shook his head, pouting again. “No.”

Steve dipped his chin with a sly grin, tapping a finger on Peters' cheek. “Use your manners.”

Peter let out a huff and tried again, raising his face just enough to hit Steve with the full force of his Bambi eyes. Peter may have been two but there was nothing on earth that could withstand the force of that gaze. Of that Steve was sure. 

“Peas, Petey has Daddy's hoobie.”

Steve was weak, folding like a house of cards without a single second of resistance. “Pete...you can’t wear it but you can hold it. How about that?”

The spider wasn’t happy about the compromise but he didn’t want to come up against the threat of having his play date with Ned taken away so, he nodded. 

“Otay, Unca Steeb.”

Peter hauled the bottom of the hoodie up, the piece of clothing so big on him he only managed to get tangled and whined until Steve rescued him. But even after trapping the toddler he didn’t want it too far and grabbed it as soon as it was off. 

“I need your hands to put through your new top, buddy.”

Steve watched curiously as Peter shoved his nose into the folds of fabric and inhaled, rubbing it against his cheek before carefully laying it down. 

The super soldier pushed an orange dinosaur t-shirt over his head before clipping the overall straps over Peters' shoulders. The millisecond Peters hands were free he grabbed Tony’s hoodie again and pressed it to his chest, cuddling it and sticking his thumb in his mouth as Steve slipped some socks and his trainers on his tiny feet. 

He honestly had no idea what kind of answer he would get but he had to ask. “Why do you like that hoodie so much?”

 

Peter held it to Steve's face in an offering. “Smell like Dadda.”

Steve took a sniff, noting the distinct smell of Tony’s very expensive aftershave and that ever-present lingering smell of motor oil and grease. That was Tony alright. 

He smiled and scooped the boy into his arms to carry from the room. “You hold it tight then. Don’t want it to get lost.”

::::::::::::::::::::

Tony took a shaky breath as Pepper held his hand, walking him out to the stage. They were on the edge of it now, just about to go out but Tony wasn’t sure he wanted to. 

There had been so many rumours about what had happened. Some saying he was dead, others saying it had been a failed assassination attempt and some claimed it was all a cover up for a bad night of drinking. He needed to set it straight. But that meant walking out in front of a crowd of cameras and reporters and talking about something personal and traumatic and he...he really didn’t want to. 

He turned, trying to leave the way they came, tugging on Peppers' hand to follow. “I’m not doing it. They can think what they like, I don’t care.”

Pepper pulled him back, free hand cupping his cheek and pulling his face close to hers, voice soft. “Hey, take a deep breath. I’m right here. Look, you don’t have to do it if you don't want to but Tony...you said you wanted to let everyone know you were okay. All those letters you got from those kids and the ones you got from the children in that hospital you visited? You’re their hero, they just want to make sure you’re still fighting like they are. You can encourage people, Tony. Don’t walk away.” 

Anxiety curled tight in his chest, wrapping around his lungs but Peppers warm hand on his made it loosen just a little bit. 

“Okay. Thanks, honey.”

“Daddy!” A squeal pulled his gaze to the spider barrelling towards him, arms out and ready for a hug. 

“Spider-Baby!” Tony crouched, feeling Peppers hand on his back in case his legs faltered, as he caught the boy and swung him up into his arms. “I’m glad to see you. Dad’s feeling a little nervous about his speech.”

Peter sat on his hip, still holding Tony’s hoodie to his chest as he smiled like it was a joke, dimples showing as he stroked his gentle fingers across the man's stubble. “Nooo. Daddy’s brave. Always brave.”

Although it was far from true Tony found himself smiling and he thought that maybe he knew what the kid was trying to convey. No matter what else happened, no matter how many times he'd had to admit his weaknesses to the world he always put up a jaunty facade. And it always worked. Okay, so maybe that's not what the two-year-old was trying to say but it was what Tony was going with. 

“You really are the smartest kid I know, huh?” He bounced the boy in his arms, heart soaring at the peal of giggles it elicited from Peter. 

“Yes.”

Tony laughed again and found that all his anxiety was gone, smashed to pieces on the wake of one child's blinding smile, soft curls and unwavering faith in his hero. 

He pressed a kiss to Peters' forehead before handing him over to Sam as he took Peppers hand again and prepared to go on stage. 

He slipped on a pair of his trademark sunglasses, ran his hand through his hair and slipped his persona on, smirking as he set out. “I got this.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all I am so sorry this has taken so long, ive been training for a new position at work and i have my trip coming up so its been a lot and second of all thank youuuuu youve been so patient and amazing and Im so grateful so im sorry this is short but here you go.

Steve walked down the hall, crouched and leaning to the side so that Peter could hold his hand while he walked beside him. The two made their way to the stage to watch Tony make his speech. 

After a cuddle and a word of encouragement from Peter, Tony walked on as Peter watched, holding his dad's hoodie tight. He whined a little, anxious about not being able to stand with Tony. 

Bucky crouched down beside him, voice warm. “He’ll be okay, bug. Peppers with him.” 

Peter whimpered, trying his best to behave. “My Dada.” 

Bucky wrapped an arm around the little one's tummy and squeezed him in a cuddle, Peters back to Bucky's chest.

“I know but he’s Peppers too.” 

Steve made a noise of disgust and Bucky turned and smacked his knee. “I mean he’s her person too, not her da- don’t be crass, Steve.” 

Peter did his best to be good and wait but his spidey senses were making his spine tingle and his skin crawl. He needed to be with Tony. 

The reporters were getting loud and rude, voices overlapping as they demanded answers from Tony and Peter could see him growing more anxious as it went on. 

But it wasn’t until one of them made a snarky comment that Peter moved. 

“How can you protect the world from alien attack if you can’t even protect yourself from a heart attack? How are you supposed to keep everyone safe?” 

Tony flinched at the question and Pepper tried to direct everyone back to the main point to no avail. Voices rose and crowded the space, filling the room with noise and Peter had enough. No one was allowed to upset his Dad like that. 

Bucky tried to hold him back but Spider-Man, as small as he was, was fast and he slipped himself from the soldiers hold. He huffed and puffed, furious and much to Bucky and Steve’s horror, he marched on stage. 

All eyes suddenly turned from the breathless and shaky Tony to the toddler as he placed himself in between the crowd and his Dad, stomping his light up trainer in fury. His hand was outstretched, little face set in a glare and adorable voice as scathing as he could make it. 

“DON'T YELL AT DADDY! BE NICE!”

The room fell silent for one single second before the shouts rose up anew, cameras flashing in Peters' face. The poor boy flinched with each flash of light, senses overwhelmed and he was suddenly swept up and carried away by strong hands. 

He grabbed at the arm holding him, squinting his sore eyes open to see Steve practically carrying Tony off stage. 

He reached for him, worried. “Daddy!” 

“Shh, Pete hang on.” Bucky was the one holding him, his warm voice close to his ear as he pulled Peter up against his chest. But Peter didn’t want a hug from Bucky. His dad was shaking and gasping in Steve’s arms, looking scared and in pain. Steve was yelling something about needing to keep his heart rate down, sounding scared. 

Peter got scared too. Dada was holding a hand to his heart and Uncle Steve was yelling for Bruce. Something was wrong and Peter needed to help. 

He didn’t want to hurt Bucky but his arm was tight around his tummy. His regular, flesh and bone arm. Peter opened his mouth, placed his teeth around Bucky's arm and bit down. Hard. 

“OW! Son of a bitch! Peter!”

The plan worked and the soldier dropped the boy to the ground, Peter landing on his toes and sprinting over to Tony before he could be grabbed again. 

His dad was making loud, horrible noises like his throat were closing and he couldn’t breathe and everyone looked so worried. Peter didn’t want to hurt them either but Steve was in the way. 

He ran over and pushed the first avenger away from his dad, ignoring his cry of indignation as he hastily crawled into his dad's lap. 

“It otay! It otay, Dada.” He tried to use the same words that Tony used to calm him down whenever he cried but his arms weren’t big enough to hold all of him. Peter settled for the biggest snuggle he could manage and wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck, using his little hand to pat at the hair at the nape of Tony’s neck. 

“Petey got you Dada. It otay.” 

Tony’s trembling hands wrapped tight around him, face dipping down to press to Peters' neck and he rocked the both of them. He breathed, focussing on Peters soft curls against his cheek and little heart pounding against his chest. 

The ache in his chest, the one that told him his heart was in danger of giving out again, faded away with just four little words. 

“I love you, Dada.” 

Tony let out a wobbly breath, one that finally came easy. “I love you too, Spider-Baby.”

:::::::::::::::::::

Bruce slung his stethoscope back around his neck and sighed. “Everything sounds good and the scans show the damage hasn’t been worsened. But we might need to adjust your dose of anxiety medication and get you in to see your therapist again.”

Tony nodded, holding Peter tight on his lap as the toddler held his hoodie with one hand, the other curled in a fist in his shirt. 

“Thanks, Bruce.”

Steve buttoned up Tony’s shirt for him, doing his best not to disturb the toddler lest he be shoved away again. No one had dared to move the boy from his Dad’s lap, even for his checkup. The day had been stressful enough, for the both of them, there was no need to add to it. 

“I know we have an even bigger mess to clean up now,” they really did. The whole world thought that Tony Stark, notorious playboy, had a secret son. Every news outlet and BuzzFeed post was going to have his and Petes photos up and there was bound to be old flames coming out of the woodwork to get their fifteen seconds of fame pretending Pete was theirs. Tony didn’t even want to look at how many phone calls Friday was blocking. But that could wait for the moment. 

“But I’d rather focus on Peter. He’s still not turning back and we don’t have any leads on Magic Man.”

Peter waved a hand emphatically as he scrunched his face into the most adorable frown he could manage. “BAD Magic Man.”

Pepper nodded, trying and failing to turn her smile into a sympathetic frown. “Yes, he is a bad man but that's why we need to find him.”

Steve leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he sighed, looking worn out. “Are we sure that's our only option? Doesn’t Strange have that time stone? Why can’t he just use it to return Peter to normal?”

 

Tony would have reiterated the very fun conversation he’d had with Dr Strange when this all started, about the sanctity of the realm and all that boring mumbo jumbo. But it seemed he wasn’t needed. Dr Strange chose that moment to open a portal into the middle of the room where he popped his head through to frown at them, bored expression on his face matching his hard tone. 

“No.”

The portal closed and the room was quiet once more. 

“Okay, I guess not. Anyone else?” Steve looked more tired than before but Bruce was frowning in thought, pen tapping against his chin as he ran through ideas in his head. 

“I know Loki can’t undo Magic Mans spell but what if he can manipulate it? We tried getting him to undo the spell but what if we just make Peter think that it’s undone? Loki could use his magic to make Peter look like a teenager again. Maybe once Peter looks like himself he’ll snap back.”

Tony hadn’t thought of that. “Someone call Thor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this might be my last chapter for a bit. im going to finish this fic but i have my trip next month so i wont be able to post or write at all in that time but I will finish this as soon as I can


	7. Chapter 7

It's not easy to contact an Asgardian god, especially when that god doesn't have a phone but nevertheless, Thor arrived half an hour later, towing his brother behind him. “Where are Stark and Peter?”

His booming voice caught the attention of the youngest Avenger, his tiny shout coming from the lounge. “Thor! Dadda, Unca Thor is here!”

The god followed the voice, ignoring his brother as he complained, doing all he could to twist his way out of Thor's grasp. 

“Little one!” 

He found Peter bouncing eagerly on Tony’s lap, the engineer laughing as the boy made grabby hands at his favourite otherworldly hero. 

“Thor! Thor, pick me up!” 

Thor finally let go of his brother to scoop up the wriggling spider and throw him into the air, smiling as Peter squealed and giggled. 

Tony hoped, just a little flicker of it deep in his chest, that when Peter came down back into Thor's arms he would be himself. But he was still the same two-year-old shrieking with joy. 

Thor laughed and snuggled the boy to his chest, rocking them both before he turned back to Tony. “How are you, my friend? Heart still beating?”

Tony smiled and tapped his chest, nodding. “It’s still ticking.”

Peter wriggled his way out of Thor's hands, dropping to the floor to run back to his dad. He crawled on his lap and curled up, resting his head on Tony's shoulder as he popped his thumb into his mouth. 

“Dadda had a bad day.”

Tony ran a hand through Peters' hair as he squeezed him in a hug. “It’s okay, bug.”

Thor frowned. “He’s still not turning back?”

Tony sighed, turning Peter in his arms so that he was laying back on his hands. He bounced him lightly as Peter looked up at him with those sad wide eyes. 

“It doesn’t matter what I do, he won’t...watch this. Hey, Petey, you wanna sing your favourite song?”

He bounced him, smiling stupidly as he sang. “Baby Stark do do do do do do!”

The boy pulled his thumb out and kicked his feet, squealing. It was almost unbearably cute but still, nothing happened. 

Tony pulled him back to his chest and shook his head. “I don’t think there's anything that could make him happier and yet...he’s still a kid. I don’t know how to help him.”

Thor reached behind himself, gaze never leaving Tony’s, and grabbed Loki’s cape, yanking him towards them before he could get his hands on anything dangerous. 

“And that's why you asked for my brothers help?”

Tony nodded, not wanting to hope but having nothing else to do. “Bruce had an idea.”

:::::::::::::::::::::

“No, I wanna stay with Dadda!” 

Bruce tried to pull the toddler from his mentor's side but his tiny hands were stuck fast and all he managed to do was jostle Tony and upset the kid. 

“Peter, Loki is going to try and help you so, you need to let go.”

“NO!” 

Every Avenger in the room flinched at the telltale whine in Peters' voice and Bruce backed off, knowing that if he continued Peter would throw a tantrum. And Bruce may have had the big green guy on his side but a tantrum from the super baby could give the Hulk a run for his money and they all knew it. 

He raised his hands and stepped back. “Okay, Peter. Loki, can you work around Tony?”

Loki looked bored, waving a hand as he sighed. “It’s insulting that you would even question it. Move.”

He lifted a hand, towards the two and raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Tony where he held the toddler on his hip. “You know this won’t change anything. I can’t undo the magic.”

Tony set his gaze in a glare and jerked his head up in a nod. “Do it.”

Loki sighed and shook his head. “Mortals.” He flicked a hand, sweeping his spell over the boy and turning the toddler into a teenager. Tony blinked in surprise at the now grown boy hanging from his hip and planted his feet wider to accommodate the extra weight.

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Maybe for Peter to jump down and blush, embarrassed about being held, but Peter just watched everyone watching him, eyes still wide and curious. 

“Peter?”

He looked to Tony at the sound of his name, his gaze flickering between Tony's eyes before he blinked and let out a happy sigh. “Hi.”

Tony put him down, setting him on his own two feet and looking the teenager up and down. Maybe they should have changed him out of his overalls, dinosaur t-shirt and light up shoes, but it was too late now, the clothes having grown with him and still looking cute. 

“Are you…? You?” 

Hope flared up in his chest, despite having wanted to be careful with that delicate flame and Tony stepped forward, reaching for Peter. The kid smiled, scrunching his nose in confusion, his bright expression so familiar, so like himself that Tony thought that maybe-

“I’m always me.”

Tony laughed, a short burst of it that shook his breath and sped his heart to Bruce worrying levels. He pointed to the man, eager and excited. “Whos that?”

Peter looked towards him and beamed. “Uncle Bruce!”

The room seemed to chill at that, everyone's expressions dropping into disappointment when Peter stuck out one blue trainer. “Can you tie my shoe? I dunno how to do it yet.”

Tony’s heart plummeted to his toes as Bruce gave the boy a shaky smile. “Sure, bud. I’ll tie it for you.”

Peter swung his arms happily as he fidgeted. “Thanks! Then can I have a juice box? Dad said it was lunch soon.”

Tony flinched at being called Dad when Peter looked like himself but at least it wasn't as weird if Peter had called him Dada as he usually did.

Loki spoke up from where he lounged at the table, eyes just a little brighter at the sight of everyone's disappointment. “I’ve adjusted his speech for you. I don’t want to hear him call you that either.”

Tony ignored the god and brushed the soft curls at the back of Peters' neck, offering a small, sad, smile when Peter looked at him. “We’ll get you something to eat, kiddo. Don’t you worry about that.”

“Yay! I want pop tarts!” 

Peter ran off to the kitchen, leaving Tony devastated all over again. Bruce planted a heavy hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Give it time. Maybe after a little while, he’ll-“

Bruce was being kind but Tony shook his head. “I shouldn’t have expected anything. Magic man's spell can’t be undone, we already knew that.” 

And yet he’d tried. Because he would try anything if it would just get him his kid back. 

Bruce looked morose, tone low and softened to match. “I’m sorry I couldn’t fix it.” 

Tony paused, realising what he’d said and how sharp it had been. He offered an apologetic smile, hand finding Bruce’s on his shoulder and patting it. “Not your fault Brucie.” 

The nickname eased the crease between the man's eyebrows, right up until a cry came from the kitchen. 

“Nooooo!” 

Tony’s dad senses spiked and he ran before he’d made the conscious decision to move, calling out frantically as he went. “Peter! I’m coming bud! Dad’s coming!” 

The kid was crying, sobbing in anguish and Tony’s pulse yet again skyrocketed. If the kid was hurt if anything had happened he’d- he skidded into the kitchen and dropped down on his knees beside the boy. “What is it, Pete? What’s wrong? Talk to me!” 

Peter has planted on his butt on the tiles, head tilted back as he cried but Tony couldn’t see anything wrong with him. Except for the empty box in his hand. 

“We’re out of pop tarts!” 

Tony froze, brain short-circuiting for a moment before he sighed, exhausted. 

“It’s not fair!” Tony rubbed a hand over his eyes, trying to be patient. After all, Peter only looked like his teenager self, inside he was still two years old. “It’s okay, we can eat something else and then later we’ll go get more.” 

Peter flopped down on his back, crying dramatically before rolling onto his stomach on the floor and just laid there sobbing, nose and cheeks red.

Tony slipped his hands under Peters' arms and pulled him up into his lap, finding it much harder to manoeuvre a teenager. Peter immediately curled to his chest and sobbed into his shoulder, miserable and pathetic over his favourite snack being gone. 

“Peter, please calm down. Dammit, this isn’t working.” Peter wasn’t coming back to himself, the plan didn’t work it was just harder to hold the kid. 

Peter sniffled, rubbing a hand over his eyes and Tony gently covered his ears as he called out to the other room. “Loki, turn him back please!”

Tony heard a finger snap from the lounge and suddenly Peter was a two year old again, sniffling into his collar. “Dadda.”

“Hey, Petey. You’re okay. I’m here.”

“How adorable.”

Tony spun, he knew that voice. Magic man. He was laying on his side on the counter, bright pink sparkly suit throwing bright spots spinning on the walls around him as he casually twirled his hair with his finger. 

His ‘paint me like one of your french girls’ pose would have been funny if he wasn’t actively trying to murder Tony’s kid.

Tony flicked out a hand, watch unravelling and shifting until it was wrapped around his palm, blaster aimed and ready to fire. Until Magic douche flicked a finger, barely looking up as his magic turned Tony’s blaster into a hello kitty glove. 

The alarms in the tower were going off but Magic Man flicked another hand and everything froze. As in, Steve was halfway through the door, mouth open in a yell, in a running position but unmoving. 

Everything but Tony and Peter were frozen in time. Tony lowered his now useless glove and held Peter tighter. “Nice trick.” 

Magic man smiled, pleased and nodded. “Isn’t it? I picked this one up last night. She was absolutely delicious although a little spicy for my taste but that’s what happens where they’re terrified.”

Tony wrinkled his nose, looking away as he pressed a hand to the back of Peters' head, keeping his face to his neck as Magic Man continued. 

“You two are supposed to be prime meat right now but you've run into this little heart problem of yours. It's a shame really, he's never going to completely trust that you're safe ever again. I mean, he was worried about monsters or aliens taking you away but now you could leave him between one beat of the heart and the next and there's nothing that he can do to stop that. No one to fight off, no evil doer to stop just a damaged heart and another father he's going to lose.”

That hurt. It was every fear that Tony held inside, that he could lose Peter, no matter what he did to protect the two of them, he could die from a bad heart and there wasn’t a weapon in the world that could stop it. No matter how much he loved Peter, and he loved him more than anything, he could hurt him the same way he’d been hurt before, another father leaving their kid alone. 

“Shut up!”

Peter flinched in his arms at his yell but he couldn’t help it. He hugged Peter tight as the boy's small hands fisted tightly in his dad's shirt. 

Magic Man laughed and waved a hand again, disappearing like a mirage in the desert. “I’ll be seeing you, Stark.” 

Everything snapped back, time unfroze and Steve ran in, the alarms blaring once more. 

“Tony, where is Magic Man?” 

“Gone.” Tony couldn't bring it in himself to care when Peter was so tightly clinging to him, face tucked to his shoulder, hiding. 

He pressed his face close to Peters' ear, words whispered and soft. “We’re okay, Petey. You can come out now.”

“Is he gone?” His tiny voice was muffled but there was nothing else that Tony cared about just then. 

“Yeah Buddy, it's just us.” 

And it was. After checking to make sure they were okay, Steve had run off with the others t try and track the man that had invaded their lives yet again. 

But Peter didn’t come out of his hiding spot until Tony spoke up to the ceiling. “Friday, turn the alarms off.”

It had been too loud for the little arachnid and now that it was quiet he relaxed, muscles easing where they’d been tightly coiled. He sagged in Tony's hold and pressed his ear back to Tony’s heart, little hands holding his shirt in a tired grasp. 

“Are you okay? Peter, answer me.”

The boy nodded but stayed silent, worrying Tony further and he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the oncoming conversation but it was happening either way. 

“Peter, what Magic Man said…? Do you really feel that way? Like you might lose me at any moment? Is that why you won’t turn back?”

The room was quiet and still and Tony held his breath until he got an answer. Another small nod came and Tony sighed, eyes pricking with guilty tears. “Fuck, Peter...I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to feel that way. I didn’t mean for this to happen, I mean I didn’t even think I’d want kids with Pepper. I never thought I’d be any good at it but then I met you and I just...You changed me, Pete. You made me better.”

He laughed a little, Peter rocking against his chest as it rose and fell in panting bursts.   
“I never thought I’d be this guy. The stay at home dad, sitting on the floor of his kitchen willing to do anything just to make his little one smile. But I would, Pete, I’d do anything.”

Peter was quiet still and Tony pulled him higher up on his shoulder so that he could snuggle him, arms tight around his small, warm body. He closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to find the right words to say. “You know I’m never going to leave you, buddy. Not if I can help it.”

Peter finally spoke and Tony almost wished he hadn’t, his tiny, sniffly voice thick with tears. “Your hearts sick.”

And that's what hurt the most. There was no promise Tony could make that would make it hurt any less. Peter had lost his parents and his uncle and the reality was that Tony had no say over when he left Peter. He had a bad heart, every beat could be his last and as a hero, every mission he went out on could be the thing that ended him. And it wasn’t fair. 

Tony rubbed the kids back and kept his eyes closed in an attempt to keep his tears at bay but it did nothing to stop the wobble in his voice.

“Yeah, but I’m doing everything I can to make it better and Bruce is too. I’m taking my medicine and eating my veggies and doing exercise so that it can get stronger. I’ll be okay kiddo. And listen…” 

It wasn’t a concept he wanted to explain to a child but he thought it may have been harder to explain if Peter was his teenage self, looking at him with his big sad eyes. 

“Petey sometimes people...sometimes they have to go and it’s sad and scary but it’s not on you to make them stay. I know you miss your mum and dad and uncle Ben but none of it was your fault. And when I go, way, way off in the future when you’re all grown up and old too, that won’t be your fault either. I’m going to do everything I can to stay with you, Pete. You don’t have to be scared of losing me.”

Finally, after all that worry, a cloud of smoke enveloped the both of them, small Peter disappearing as he returned to his teenager self at last. He didn’t move from his spot, arms just wrapping tighter around Tony as he pressed his face to his mentor's neck. 

“But I am. I’m so scared.” He sniffled, voice shaky and Tony felt his shirt wet with tears. 

The spell was broken and Peter was no longer paralyzed by fear but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel it. 

Tony hugged him back, adjusting his hold for his now bigger kid, settling him to sit on his lap so he could hug him closer. It did occur to him that they never would have been caught dead in such a vulnerable position before, but now all he could think was that he didn’t want to let go. 

“Aw Pete. Now you know how I feel whenever you go out as Spider-Man.”

Peter was back, finally, he had his kid back and Tony wanted to make a big deal of it. He wanted to scream and dance and let everyone know but he knew if he did, the moment would be lost and he’d never get Peter to talk about his fear of losing him again. So, he stayed quiet, the cry of joy that his Peter was back kept inside. 

Peter let out a wet, slightly erratic laugh through his tears. “You promise you’ll take care of yourself?”

Tony closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over the kids back, voice weighty with importance.

“I promise.”

Peter's voice was whiny and nasal, nose stuffy from his tears but it only made Tony smile. 

“Good. Cause I’m gonna need you for a long long time.”

Tony laughed, rocking the two of them to try and get Peter to feel better.

“Me too. I love you so much, Bug.”

Tony could feel Peter freeze at the words, and for a moment Tony was worried he’d done something wrong. Until he felt Peter shift against him and his voice came with a smile. “I love you too, Mr Stark.”

Tony let himself feel the joy then, he squeezed tighter than he could a normal person and smooshed a kiss on the teenager's cheek. “God, I missed you, Petey! You have no idea how happy I am to have you back to yourself.”

Peter laughed again, resting heavy on Tony’s chest, safe and secure in his arms and he lifted a hand to pull irritably at his overalls and dinosaur t-shirt. “Believe me, I’m happy too.”

Tony sat back, looking the boy over and making a face. “Oh, no you’re keeping this outfit. It’s adorable.”

:::::::::::::::::::::::

“I don’t care what Flash says, I think they’re awesome.”

Peter looked down at his light-up shoes flashing as he adjusted his backpack. “Thanks! I’m thinking of putting some in the suit but Mr Stark says it would be hard to get lights and wheels in the boots without making them too chunky.”

Ned nodded along, the two of them discussing designs and alteration until a horn honked. They looked up towards the curb where Tony was parked in a red and gold sports car, one that he’d designed himself and that Peter had helped work on. He was hanging out of the side smiling and waving his arm as if he could be any more conspicuous. 

“Petey! Hurry up, we’re gonna be late for tonight!”

A while ago Peter would have been embarrassed but now he just smiled as his classmates gawked. They’d get used to it and Flash could eat his shit. He slapped a palm on Ned’s arm in goodbye and ran over, throwing his backpack in the back before slipping into the front. 

“Hey, Dad. How was work?”

That was something else that had changed. It slipped out so easily from Peters' mouth and Tony smiled every time. He didn’t use it all the time, it was more like a nickname or an inside joke but it held the weight of a truth they both felt. It was so natural and Tony reached an arm out to ruffle Peters' hair. 

“It was good, kid. Quill called, he and the others are coming to visit and he said he’d show you his spaceship like you asked.”

Peter practically bounced in his seat, hands fumbling for his phone as Tony pulled the car away from the curb. 

“That's awesome! Oh my god, can Ned come?”

Tony hummed, mulling it over. “Hmmm fine. But no photos, no snapchat, no nothing, okay?”

Peter let out a yell as he texted as fast as his fingers could manage. “YES! Thank you, Mr Stark! You’re the best!”

Tony laughed, eyebrows bouncing. “I know.”

It wasn’t as if they had forgotten about the looming threat of Magic Man, he could come for them at any moment but they were too happy to let the little threat of a cannibal spoil their mood. 

By the time they got back to the compound, Peter was so excited he could hardly wait for Tony to park the car. “Wait, Pete! Jesus, don’t jump out of a moving vehicle. Do I need to put a child lock on this thing?”

Peter tapped his shoes on the floor of the car, making the lights blink as he waited impatiently for the car to stop moving. “Sorry, sorry I just want to see the space ship!”

He didn’t have to wait long, as soon as he stepped out onto the concrete his curls were swept back by the wind being churned around by the ship landing on the lawn. 

Tony pressed an arm across Peters' chest to keep him from running up to it before it had landed properly and the kid was practically shaking with excitement. He thought Quill and the others would have been excited too but when they all walked out they just seemed distressed. Quill ran around to the front, urging Groot to get something off the windshield. 

Tony let Peter go and they made their way over, catching the end of the conversation as Groot placed whatever he’d gotten, into Quill's hands. 

“Hey, what's going on?”

Quill looked up as Rocket began lecturing Groot about eating bugs. The poor Star-Lord looked so guilty Tony grew worried. “Look, it was an accident. I promise I didn’t mean to he just flew into my windshield! I didn’t even see him!”

More Avengers were gathering around at the commotion and Tony felt Rhodey close to his side as he shook his head, confused. “What are you talking about?”

Quill offered his hands, showing everyone the half bug half man that lay on his palm. The sparkly bug man. “Was he a friend of yours? He was headed straight for the compound when he….well, you know.”

Tony and Peter let out the same breath as they stared in awe. “Magic-Man.”

Bucky, standing behind Peter, raised his eyebrows thoughtfully. “He must have gotten another power.”

Quill was about to apologize when the bug-man twitched, legs jerking erratically and everyone jumped back in fright, Peter letting out a disgusted cry. 

“Uegh! He’s still alive!”

Of all the renowned assassins they had gathered in one place, not one of them moved. When the newspaper came swinging down to splatter the bug against Quill's palm, it was Rhodey holding the end. 

Poor Quill, still unsure about the history of the now dead thing in his hand, stared in horror, mouth hanging open as Rhodey took his newspaper back, curling a disgusted lip at the smear left on the guardian's palm. 

“Well. At least now we don’t have to worry about him eating you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ‘baby stark do do do do’ thing was from tumblr user ‘steveplustony’ i saw the post and couldn't resist. Its comedic genuis. 
> 
> and also thank you so much to everyone that supported this fic, that read it and liked it and reviewed and thank you for being so patient!!! I'm sorry there were some little plot lines I was growing and didn't end up using so I'm sorry about that but I hope you liked it this was such a fun one to write thank you so much to everyone!!!!! and thank you Allyyyy for helping meeee

**Author's Note:**

> More coming! Let me know what you think?
> 
> honestly, this took so long to write I've had no motivation lately and then it all came back so yay!! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon


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